When you book your Walt Disney World Vacation, you will notice a park hopper option for the tickets. This option allows you to visit more than one on the same day.
Once you’ve purchased your park hopper tickets, you may be wondering, “How do you park hop at Disney?”
You might be thinking this is some sick ploy by Disney to get you to pay for parking twice in the same day. You won’t have to pay for parking twice and if you follow the advice below, you can avoid paying for parking at all.
How do You Park Hop at Disney World?
Park hopping means going from one park to another, such as going from the Animal Kingdom to Hollywood Studios. There are several options for park hopping, depending on which Disney Park you’re at and where you want to go.
While the Magic Kingdom and Epcot certainly warrant spending a full day at, especially if you haven’t been before, Hollywood Studios and the Animal Kingdom have been known as half-day parks for quite some time.
Hollywood Studios is growing with the arrival of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Toy Story Land, and the new Mickey and Minnie Ride opening in March 2020. However, it can still be done in a half-day, if you don’t want to do every single thing in the park.
Park hopping makes sense if you’ve been to Disney World before, as well.
No matter your reason for park hopping, it’s important to know your options from one park to another.
Park Hopping from the Magic Kingdom
Since it’s the main park, we will start with park hopping from the Magic Kingdom.
The easiest park to get to from the Magic Kingdom is Epcot. You can simply take the Monorail from the Magic Kingdom to the Ticket and Transportation Center. From there, just transfer over to the Epcot Monorail and you’ll be at the entrance to Epcot in no time.
Going from the Magic Kingdom to Hollywood Studios or the Animal Kingdom isn’t quite as simple. The monorail system doesn’t connect these parks, but you can still get from the Magic Kingdom to Hollywood Studios or the Animal Kingdom.
Going from the Magic Kingdom to Hollywood Studios is done by taking a bus. The busses will also connect you to the Animal kingdom theme park.
How Long Does it Take to Park Hop from the Magic Kingdom?
You will spend the least amount of time going from the Magic Kingdom to Epcot due to the monorail. On average, this will take about 38 minutes. It’s often a bit faster.
From the Magic Kingdom to the Animal Kingdom, you will need the bus and it will take about 37 minutes, depending on how long you wait for the bus.
From the Magic Kingdom to Hollywood Studios, you will also need a bus, which will take about 39 minutes, again, depending on how long you wait for the bus.
Getting from the Magic Kingdom to any of the other Disney World Theme Parks will take up about 40 minutes of your day. Remember, if you parked at the Magic Kingdom, you also have to come back, which will take even more time in your day.
Park Hopping from Epcot
Park hopping from Epcot to Hollywood Studios has become more interesting and faster due to the Disney Skyliner opening. You can connect to the Skyliner by France in Epcot and take it to Hollywood Studios. This is usually the fastest park hopping option available. It will average around 20 minutes total travel time with a transfer at the Caribbean Beach station.
In addition to the Skyliner, you can actually walk from Epcot to Hollywood Studios. There is a walkway between these two parks that allows you to walk past the BoardWalk area on the way. It takes about 25 minutes to walk, but it’s rather peaceful and you can enjoy a snack at the BoardWalk along the way.
In addition, you can park hop from the area near France via boat from Epcot to Hollywood Studios. These two parks offer the most options for park hopping, as you can also take the bus from Epcot to Hollywood Studios.
If you want to park hop from Epcot to the Animal Kingdom, the only option is the bus. The bus is also an option to park hop from Epcot to the Magic Kingdom if you don’t want to take the monorail or it’s down.
Park Hopping from Hollywood Studios
Getting from Hollywood Studios to the Magic Kingdom is best done by bus. You can take a boat to the Boardwalk and catch a bus or taxi there, but the most direct option is to take the bus from Hollywood Studios to the Magic Kingdom.
Going from Hollywood Studios to the Animal Kingdom is done by bus. This is the best and fastest option between the parks.
Park Hopping from the Animal Kingdom
The only transportation offered from the Animal Kingdom to the other Disney World Parks is via bus. You can take the bus to any of the other three parks as the park hopping option.
Other Ways to Park Hop at Walt Disney World
Of course, there are other ways to park hop, but they won’t all be free. You can move your vehicle from one park to another since you only have to pay one parking fee for the day. You can also:
- Take a Lyft
- Take an Uber
- Hire a Minnie Van
- Hire a Taxi
Sometimes, paying for one of these options makes sense, but the best ways to park hop at Disney World are all free.
How to Avoid Paying for Parking When Park Hopping
Since you’ll already be park hopping for the day, why not start at Disney Springs and take advantage of free parking. From there, you can take the bus to the first park you want to enjoy and connect to the next park and so on.
Once your day is over, simply hop on a bus back to Disney Springs and you’ve enjoyed free parking for the day. This is a great option if you plan to be at the parks late, as the parking lot trams will not run all night. Disney Springs is open later than the parks, so you won’t have anything to worry about.
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